Miami University's Women's Basketball Team

Feb. 12, 2008

Complete Release in PDF Format

UP AHEAD: Following Wednesday's game versus Mid-American Conference West Division co-leader Ball State, the RedHawks round out their stint against the West Division when traveling to Toledo for a 7 p.m. contest on Saturday, Feb. 16. Miami will then return to East Division play on Feb. 20 when the Red and White hit the road for a 7 p.m. game at Buffalo.

ABOUT BALL STATE: The Cardinals snapped a two-game skid with a home win against Akron on Feb. 9. Ball State has one of the most balanced scoring attacks in conference play as five Cardinal players average in double figures, led by Porchia Green's 13.8 ppg. Julie DeMuth, Lisa Rusche and Kiley Jarrett are the other Cardinal starters scoring in double digits, while Emily Maggert comes off the bench to average 13.7 ppg. Ball State is currently tied atop of the MAC West Division with Eastern Michigan and Western Michigan.

THE SERIES WITH THE CARDINALS: Wednesday marks the 54th meeting between Ball State and Miami with the RedHawks owning a 37-16 lead in the all-time series. Ball State took last season's game, 90-62 in Muncie, but the RedHawks hold a 21-3 advantage in the series when playing in Oxford. Miami's last win in the series was a one-point victory, 66-65, at Millett Hall in the 2005-06 season.

MAC TOURNAMENT CHANGES: The first round of the 2008 Mid-American Conference Tournament, which will be held in Cleveland, Ohio, has had its first round games adjusted. Two first round games will be played at 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. on Sunday, March, 9, while the final two first round games will be played at noon and 2:30 p.m. on Monday, March 10. The quarterfinals will still be played on Tuesday, March, 11, while the Semifinals and Finals will be played on Friday, March 14 and Saturday, March 15, respectively.

LEADING THE CHARGE: After a tough stretch of games from Jan. 12 through Jan. 26, where she shot just 20.4 percent from the field, junior guard Jenna Schone has been one of the keys behind Miami's three-game winning streak. Schone has lifted her game and she is averaging a team-high 17.7 points per game over the past three contests. Schone is also averaging 6.33 assists per game and she is shooting a sizzling 51.5 percent (17-of-33) from the field and 60.0 percent (12-of-20) from three.

1 OF THE GREATS: Senior guard Amanda Jackson, has scored 1,759 career points heading into Wednesday's game with Ball State. Jackson, who passed Heather Cusick as Miami's all-time leading scorer on Jan. 29, is within 41 points of another milestone. If Jackson reaches the 1,800 point mark, she would join Ron Harper, Wally Szczerbiak and Devin Davis as the only players in Miami basketball history to score 1,800 career points.

ONE MORE FOR FOUR: Miami looks for its fourth straight win for the first time this season when the RedHawks welcome Ball State to Millett Hall. During its three-game winning streak, Miami has six players (Jenna Schone, Laura Markwood, Ashley Hawkins, Stephanie Ford, Courtney Reed, Briana Dunlap) shooting above 50.0 percent from the field and four of those players are also shooting 40 percent or above from three (Markwood, Schone, Reed, Dunlap).

CENTURY MARK: Senior forward Laura Markwood will play her 100th game as a RedHawk on Wednesday when the RedHawks meet the Cardinals. Fellow senior, Amanda Jackson, has played 111 games in her career.

BENCH-MARKS: Sophomore guard Courtney Reed and freshman guard Briana Dunlap have come off the bench and provided an instant impact in Miami's past three games. The duo has shot 51.4 percent from the field, including 62.5 percent from behind-the-arc, while averaging 16.3 ppg.

MOVEMENT MONTH: With just under a month to play in the conference season, the RedHawks are one of six teams tied for the best record in the MAC. With such a large group clumped together at the top, February will decide a lot in the outcome of the conference race. Under head coach Maria Fantanarosa, Miami has performed best in the month of February as the RedHawks own a 46-34 recordin February, including a perfect 8-0 month in the 2003-04 season.

HOME COURT: Miami has taken advantage of it's home court this season as the RedHawks have posted a 9-3 record at Millett Hall. With Saturday's win versus Western Michigan, Miami secured a winning record at home this season. Miami has four home games remaining this season and Miami's next home win would give the RedHawks 10 home wins for the first time since the 2003-04, season when the RedHawks collected an 11-2 home mark.

ROAD WARRIORS: After a 1-4 road record in non-conference play, the RedHawks have found a way to win on the road in Mid-American Conference play. Four of Miami's six conference wins have occurred away from Millett Hall, which doubles its conference road wins from the previous two conference seasons combined (2-15). In their four conference road wins, Miami is shooting 43.3 percent from the field and 38.5 percent from three. Miami also has five players averaging over eight points per game in conference away games.

JACKSON SITS ALONE: In her 100th career start as a RedHawk, senior guard Amanda Jackson scored 22 points in leading Miami to a 81-70 win over Eastern Michigan on Tuesday, Jan. 29. While her 22 points led the RedHawks in scoring, it was her 20th point, a lay-up in the paint with 2:32 to play, that moved Jackson into first place on Miami's all-time scoring list. Heather Cusick, who held the scoring record since 2003, finished her career with 1,728 points. Jackson now ranks first on Miami's all-time scoring list (1,759 points), all-time field goal attempts list (1,533), made field goals list (611) and career 20-point games chart (35).

MILESTONE NIGHT: Miami's 81-70 win on Jan. 29 over Eastern Michigan was a night to remember for the Miami women's basketball program. Not only did senior guard Amanda Jackson become Miami's all-time leading scorer, but Miami Head Coach Maria Fantanarosa earned her 150th win at the helm of her alma mater. Fantanarosa has a record of 152-131 at Miami.

TOP OF THE CLASS: Heading into the final third of the season, senior guard Amanda Jackson and senior forward Laura Markwood are approaching class single-season records. Jackson has scored 492 points this season and is 33 points shy of breaking the senior class record of 524 points set by Mary Ann Myers in the 1981-82 season. Jackson is also closing in on another senior class record also set by Mary Ann Myers as Jackson is only 13 made free throws away from becoming the senior class leader on that respective chart. With a guaranteed eight games remaining, Markwood needs just 2.8 rpg to pass Monica Niemann and current Miami assistant coach Colleen Day for the senior-class rebounds mark.

MAC-NIFICENT CAREER: With seven games remaining in the 2007-08 regular season, senior guard Amanda Jackson is averaging 22.4 ppg and is Miami's all-time leading scorer. Jackson is now moving her way up the MAC scoring chart. She has 1,759 career points, which ranks 17th on the MAC's all-time scoring list. Jackson currently ranks 9th in MAC history in career field goal attempts (1,533), tied for 13th in steals (279) and she is nine field goals short of 21st place in career field goals and 11 free throws shy of 16th place in free throws made.

ASSAULT ON THE RECORD BOOKS: Senior guard Amanda Jackson, junior guard Jenna Schone, senior forward Laura Markwood and junior center Stephanie Ford are closing in on several of Miami's single-season charts. Below is where they stand heading into this weekend's contest.

JACKSON
-- Ranks 1st for most 20-point games in a season (16)
-- Ranks 3rd on free throws made chart with 124 this season
-- Tied for 5th on single-season free throw percentage list (.838)
-- Ranks 5th on the Miami single-season points list (492)
-- Tied for 6th place on free throws attempted chart (148)
-- Ranks 7th on field goals attempted chart (403)
-- Five made field goals away from 10th place on the field goals made chart
SCHONE
--Ranks 9th on made 3-pointers chart (53)
-- Ranks 9th on 3-point attempts chart (148)
-- Seven assists away from breaking onto single-season chart
MARKWOOD
-- One double-double away from tying for ninth place on single-season list
-- Tied for 8th on Miami's single-season Top 10 rebounding chart
-- Needs 48 rebounds to become Miami's single-season rebounding leader
FORD
--Ranks 7th on the single-season blocks chart (32)